


Seeing Eye to Eye

by KittyKat1026



Category: Moana (2016)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-01
Updated: 2020-07-29
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:34:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,102
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25017850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KittyKat1026/pseuds/KittyKat1026
Summary: What happens when the star of the football team is at risk for academic ineligibility? He gets help from a certain mayor’s daughter. Modern Moana x Maui
Relationships: Maui & Moana Waialiki
Kudos: 5





	1. Chapter 1

It was a regular school day for Moana. She woke up to her alarm, got ready for school, grabbed breakfast on her drive to school, and pulled into the parking lot of Motunui High School. She went through most of the day alone, as usual. She had one friend, Te Fiti, unfortunately their schedules didn't match up this semester, leaving Moana alone for most of the school day. 

As she walked into her Ethics class, her teacher pulled her aside. 

"Moana, I need to ask you a favor. I have a senior student who is about to lose academic eligibility for football, and he needs a tutor. He has been in a lot of fights on campus and could get expelled. If he raises his grades, he might not be."

It wasn't unusual for teachers to ask Moana to tutor other students, but usually it was a freshman or sophomore, and it was never someone with a track record. Without being told, Moana already knew who it was. Maui Kawai. 

"Miss Waialiki?" 

Moana let out a sigh. "Yeah, yeah. I'll do it." Anything to get out of the house, she thought. 

"Excellent! Today is just a review day. Mr. Kawai should be at the bleachers, if you'd like to discuss a game plan for your tutoring sessions."

Moana nodded before turning on her heel. In her three years at this school, she had never stepped foot near the football field. Why would she? She was a surfer. Well, she wished she was. Ever since she could remember, Moana felt drawn to the ocean, but every time she got near it, her dad freaked out. Overprotective, as usual. 

As she approached the football field, Moana immediately spotted Maui. He was a massive eighteen year old. At least two feet taller than her and had more muscle in one arm than she did in her entire body. Her stomach twisted a bit, nervous to talk to the jock. She'd heard stories about him. He was...to put it nicely, a dick. He was full of himself and was the biggest womanizer at school. The last thing she needed was for any rumors to start. Maybe it was a good thing she was introducing herself in front of his friends. 

Before she knew it, she was a foot from the bleachers. "Maui Kawai? Mr. Thomas asked me to work with you on some of your classes."

Maui raised an eyebrow at the girl. "And why would I need your help?"

"Well, considering the fact that your at risk of getting kicked off the football team and expulsion, I'd say you need my help pretty badly."

He let out a booming laugh, along with his friends. "Listen, Curly. Run along to recess. I don't need your help."

Moana was starting to get aggravated. Why did he have to be such a jerk? He didn't even know her! 

"My name is Moana. If you know what is good for you, you will get off your ass and meet me in the library in five minutes. Otherwise, have fun being a high school has-been before you've even graduated." She turned sharply and walked directly towards the library, not caring if he followed or not. 

When she sat down at a table in the library, she saw a large young man sit across from her, glaring at her. She immediately felt triumphant. She had gotten under his skin, now let's see how long it would take her to get into his brain. 

"We'll start with Ethics." She said with a sickly smile on her lips.


	2. Chapter 2

"This is ridiculous. When the hell am I going to need to know the area of a triangle?" Maui groaned. 

"If you ever build something in the shape of a triangle, maybe?" Moana muttered with a roll of her eyes. 

They had been going at his math homework for the last hour and a half. Nothing had come of it, except for their constant back and forth. Maui would complain, Moana would have a snippy comeback. As much as he didn't want to admit it, Maui actually had fun pushing her buttons. 

"Okay, Curly. Can we just take a break? Get to know each other. If you're gonna help me with this stuff, we're gonna be seeing a lot of each other. Might as well not be strangers." 

Moana raised an eyebrow, trying to figure out what his motive was. Did he want to just blow off his homework, or did he actually want them to become friends? What was she saying? Of course he just wanted to blow off homework. The only time Maui Kawai was somewhat nice to any female was when he was trying to get into their pants. 

"Eyes on your paper." She replied, just as her phone started ringing. Moana let out a sigh before answering. "Hi dad. Yeah, I'll be back by four. Yes, I'm aware. No, I won't be bringing someone." She rested her forehead on the palm of her hand. "Because I don't want to. Besides, who would I bring anyway? That's not the point. I will be ready to go by six. Bye."

Maui leaned in slightly. "So what was that about?" 

Moana jumped at his voice, almost forgetting he was there. "Just some stupid dinner I have to go to."

"And why wouldn't you bring someone to this stupid dinner? Wouldn't it make it a little more bearable?"

"Yeah, I guess, but if you haven't noticed, I'm not exactly surrounded by friends. My best friend is busy tonight, and my dad wouldn't let me bring her, anyway. I'm supposed to bring a date."

"I could go with you." Maui didn't know why he said it, but he did. "As a friend, of course. I mean, you could quiz me on the presidents or something throughout the night. I get tutored and you don't get harassed for not bringing a date."

Moana narrowed her eyes, weighing her options. He did have a point. 

She scribbled down a few things on a piece of paper and handed it to him before standing up. "Be at my house at 5:30. Dress nicely. A suit or something. No funny business."

—

Moana looked at herself in the mirror, pulling on the dress she had on. She hated dressing up for these events. Why couldn't she live the way she wanted? Down at the beach house with her grandmother, never changing out of her swimsuit, the salt water curling her hair.

A doorbell ring brought her out of her dreams. She walked down the stairs to open the door. She smirked as she saw Maui standing in her doorway, pulling on his tie to loosen it. 

"You're lucky I still fit in the suit from my grandfather's funeral." He grumbled before looking at her. He was speechless. At school, Moana wore her usual shorts and t-shirt, but here she was in an orange strapless dress, hair pulled into a ponytail, her makeup done. She looked beautiful. 

Moana could feel his stare, her cheeks heating up at his expression. "Well, thanks for putting in the effort. My dad wants to meet you before we head out. Please be on your best behavior."

Maui swallowed hard before following her in. He looked around the house, completely in awe. He figured Moana came from money, but he didn't think- "Wait. Your dad's the mayor?"

"Yeah, I thought everyone knew that. That's why no one talks to me. Everyone just assumes that I'm a narc because of who my dad is." She said quietly as they approached her father. "Dad, this is my friend, Maui Kawai."

Maui cleared his throat, standing a bit taller as he held out his hand. "Mr. Waialiki, it's nice to meet you. I want to thank you for letting me come tonight."

Moana stared at Maui, unsure if he was the same person who had asked her if a parallelogram was an element on the periodic table, just a few hours earlier. 

"Well, Mr. Kawai, you are the first boy Moana has brought home, so how could I not?" He laughed, shaking Maui's hand. 

"Dad," she said quickly. "He is just a friend. Nothing more."

Tui laughed again. "Alright, whatever you say. Let's get going. Your mother is already in the limo."

—

The dinner party was filled with political figures of every level. Maui felt completely out of place, but seeing how uncomfortable Moana was definitely put him at ease. At least he wasn't the only one. 

"Hey, Curly, having fun yet?"

Moana couldn't help but laugh. "Can't you tell? I've been having the time of my life." She said, looking up from her steak. 

"You can quiz me, if you're really bored." 

Moana's eyes drifted to the ocean through the window. "I have a better idea." She stood up and walked over to her father, making up some story about Maui's mother needing him home as soon as possible. Of course, Tui didn't question anything. He just smiled and handed Moana some cash to pay for a taxi back home. 

When Moana and Maui left the building, Moana led him down to the beach. Maui smiled, letting out a chuckle. "I'd say this is definitely better." He untied the tie around his neck and unbuttoned the first couple of buttons on his shirt. "So why here?"

Moana just smiled, taking off her heels and walking towards a fish taco stand. She ordered a few and handed the man a few dollar bills. Moments later, she walked back to Maui and handed him a plate. "Best in all the islands." She said, taking a bite. 

Maui just looked at her for a moment. In mere hours, he had seen three sides to this mysterious girl. When he first met her, he thought she was an annoying know-it-all that he wanted nothing more than to annoy. A few hours later, he saw her uncomfortable with her own family, she felt uncomfortable with what was expected of her. And now, here she was, shoving fish tacos in her mouth, strands of hair falling out of her ponytail, happiest he'd ever seen someone. She was almost...cute. 

Hold on. Cute? He was thinking she was beautiful earlier, and now he's thinking she's cute? What is wrong with him? He can't be developing feelings for her....could he? 

"What?" She said, her mouth full of food. 

Maui just laughed, taking a bite of one of his tacos. "Nothing, nothing."

Moana rolled her eyes as she started walking towards the ocean. She tossed her trash into a bin after finishing the last of her tacos and pulled her dress up, mid-thigh, tying it to keep it up. She pulled out her hair tie, letting her hair fall down her back. As soon as the water hit her feet, she immediately relaxed. 

Maui rolled up his pants and kicked off his shoes before joining her. "You really like the ocean, don't you?" 

"It's where I belong. The ocean doesn't expect anything from me. It doesn't ask anything of me. It's the closest thing I have to a real home."

She looked over at him, worried that she had scared him off. Why would she care, though? He was just some stupid jock that she was tutoring, right? It didn't matter that he was handsome or that she could see one of his tattoos peeking out through the top of his shirt. 

Maui just nodded, understanding how she felt. "Hey, Moana-"

As Moana moved to turn towards him, her feet got tangled up, as if the water, itself, tripped her. Her body collided with Maui's, causing them both to fall into the water. His arms instinctively wrapped around her waist as they fell with a splash. 

Both immediately started laughing. Moana rested her forehead against Maui's chest for a moment before realizing the position she was in. If anyone came up to them, they'd be met with Moana laying completely on Maui, wrapped in his arms. 

She quickly scrambled off of him and walked back onto the sand. "My, uh...my grandma lives a couple houses down. We can clean up your clothes and you can take a shower. We don't need our parents getting mad at us."

Maui nodded, standing up and grabbing his shoes before following her across the beach. 

They finally made it to her Grandma Tala's home. Moana opened the door, looking around to see if anyone was home. Luckily, it looked like her grandmother had gone out for the night. "I'll go grab some clothes for both of us to put on while our clothes are in the wash. Towels should be in the bathroom. You can take the bathroom down that hallway." She pointed to the hallway on her left. "I'll leave the clean clothes outside the door for when you're finished."

Maui didn't know why he felt the urge to kiss the girl. He barely knew her and they were complete opposites, but here he was, contemplating pulling her into his arms. 

Moana seemed to sense that he was deep in thought. She slowly took a step forward and snapped her fingers in front of his face. "Earth to Maui. Go take a shower." She said before walking down the opposite hallway, towards another bathroom. Once she was inside, she closed the door and leaned her back against it. "What is going on with me?" She asked herself before starting the shower. 

—

After the two had cleaned themselves off, they changed into the clean clothes Moana had found and tossed theirs into the wash. All they had to do now was wait for their clothes to be finished. 

"So..." Maui started, looking around. "Why did you take me up on my offer to come with you tonight?"

Moana shrugged, "I don't know, honestly. I guess I liked the idea of not having to deal with the pitiful looks from everyone there. You may be barely a friend, but they don't need to know that."

"Oh, so you just used me so people thought I was your boyfriend? You want people to think that?" He smirked. 

"No! I mean, yes, I mean... it's complicated. Not you, specifically, just someone. Those people have known me my entire life. Every year I go to that dinner by myself, the looks get worse. The questions are even worse."

"So you do want people to think I'm your boyfriend?"

"Oh my god, why does it matter? You're just trying to get under my skin."

Maui moved a little closer to her. "For once, no. I'm just curious. And out of curiosity, did you expect me to go along with it? Pretend you're the girl of my dreams, dance with you, hold your hand....kiss you." With each example he moved closer, surprised every time when Moana didn't back away. Was she moving towards him, as well? 

"Maui..." she whispered. "I-" She was cut off by the sound of the dryer, telling them that their clothes were done. 

The two stayed in that spot for a moment longer. "You what?" Maui said softly. 

"I don't know what's going on."

"You don't think whatever this is, is a good idea?"

"It's not that. It's...complicated."

Maui reached over to place his index finger under her chin, his thumb moving down her bottom lip. "Stop thinking so much, for once." And with that, he closed the distance between them. 

Moana's eyes widened as his lips collided with hers, but instantly relaxed, slowly draping her arms around his neck. 

After a while, the two broke apart. Neither said anything. Neither knew what to say or think.

Finally, Moana spoke up. "I think we should head back."

—

The taxi ride back home was silent. Both of their minds were asking the same questions. What do they do now? What did the kiss mean? Did it mean anything? 

When they reached Moana's house, she opened the door to step out. Maui immediately took her hand. "Moana, I-"

"It's fine, Maui." She interrupted. "I'll see you at school tomorrow."

Moana pulled her hand away, closed the door to the taxi and walked up the steps to her house. 

Tomorrow was going to be rough.


	3. Chapter 3

Moana woke up to the sound of her phone buzzing. She groaned, rolling over to see who had the audacity to text her this early. Of course, her gut already knew. 

Moana, we need to talk.   
-Maui 

It had been one of many texts she’d gotten since the night before. Maui wanted to talk about that kiss, but Moana wasn’t interested in being told the obvious. It was a mistake, he was caught up in the moment, someone as popular as him wouldn’t ever be with a loner like her. 

She tossed her phone onto her desk before hopping out of bed to get ready for school. After taking a quick shower and pulling on a set of clean clothes, she grabbed her backpack and walked out. 

As she drove, she nervously nibbled at her thumbnail. She had to end her tutoring sessions with Maui. She’d find someone better to help him. Maybe Te Fiti? She’s always been better at talking to people and her grades almost rivaled Moana’s. 

Moana didn’t have much time to think about it, though, because as soon as she pulled into a parking spot, Maui was standing right in front of her car. 

He just stared at her. Moana couldn’t tell if he was angry or not. His face just looked...blank. She gulped before opening her car door and got out. 

“Moana, why haven’t you responded to any of my texts? You sent all of my calls to voicemail. What’s going on? We really need to talk.”

Moana bit down on her bottom lip, unsure of what to say. “I already know what you’re going to say, so you really don’t have to bother.” She adjusted the backpack on her shoulder, avoiding his eyes. “I think it would be best if Te Fiti takes over for me with tutoring you.”

The expression on Maui’s face changed at her words. “Moana, that’s not what I want. That-“ he stopped as she shook her head. 

“Don’t worry, Maui. We can pretend like nothing happened last night. Easy.” She took a step back. “Well, good luck with your classes and...” she looked up at the football banner. “And all of that.”

Before Maui could stop her, she had already walked away. He could feel his anger rising inside of him. Why wouldn’t she just listen to him? 

— 

The day went by rather quickly for Moana. It was definitely something she was thankful for. When the final bell rang, she grabbed her things out of her locker and made her way out to her car. She stopped dead in her tracks when she noticed a few football players around it, seemingly waiting for her. 

Her guess was correct when they all looked over at her. The quarterback, Tamatoa, was the first to reach her. “Mona, right?”

“It’s Moana.”

“Yeah, whatever. We saw you hanging out with our boy, Maui, earlier. What’s going on there?”

Moana raised an eyebrow. “Nothing. He just needed someone to tutor him, and Mr. Thomas wanted me to be that person. This morning, Maui just wanted to know if I wanted to meet him at the library again. Now will you move so I can get to my car?”

Tamatoa eyed Moana up and down, a wicked smile on his face. “So you’re not one of his side pieces. Good to know. Now that we’ve gotten that sorted out, what do you say you and I go...chat somewhere?” His hand reached over to gently run his knuckles down Moana’s cheek. 

Moana didn’t know what to do. Her hand instinctively went to her pocket, where her phone usually was. Dammit, she thought, I never took it off my desk this morning. 

Just as Moana was about to respond, Maui appeared out of nowhere, grabbing Tamatoa’s wrist. “The fuck are you doing, Tom?”

Tamatoa smirked. “Well, I wanted to know who your new friend was. She informed me that you two are nothing more than...well, even less then friends. I figured she was fair game.”

Maui’s grip tightened around Tamatoa’s wrist. “Leave her alone.”

“If I didn’t know you any better, I would’ve thought you actually cared about her. Come on, Maui. Why is she any different than the rest of the girls you ‘hang out’ with? If you’re not gonna make a move on her, I surely will.”

“Moana,” Maui said, keeping his eyes on Tamatoa. “Get in your car now.”

Moana looked between the two men before doing as Maui instructed. 

He looked around at his other teammates. “If I see or hear about any of you going near her again, I will personally make sure you never play a game again.”

Tamatoa shook his head. “Come on, Maui. You can’t tell me you haven’t thought about what she’d be like in bed. That crazy hair of hers, her ass-“ He stopped as a fist collided with his jaw. In the process of punching Tamatoa, he snapped his wrist, as well. 

“I make good on my promises, Tom. Have fun on the bench this season because there’s no way you can pick up a football, let alone throw it.” Maui chuckled, flicking Tamatoa’s wrist, causing him to scream. “Don’t go near her again, or there will be a lot more pain where that came from.”

Maui walked over to the passenger side of Moana’s car to see if she was alright. Before he could even say a word, she unlocked the door. “Get in.” She said simply. 

—

Moana drove back to her house in silence. What could she say? Should she thank him? Should she be scared of him? The way he so easily snapped Tamatoa’s wrist should scare her. She knew he was strong, but she didn’t exactly know how strong, until then. 

She got out of the car and walked into her house, Maui following closely behind her. It wasn’t until she closed her bedroom door behind them that she said anything. 

“What the hell was that?”

Maui didn’t know how to respond. He knew his actions today wouldn’t exactly help the rumors that Tamatoa had started about the two of them. 

“I was walking from my locker and I saw them surround you. What was I supposed to do? Keep walking? Moana, you don’t want to know what they’re capable of, especially Tamatoa.”

“Why do you care? You barely know me.”

It was true. They’d only really known each other for less than 48 hours, but there was something that kept pulling Maui to Moana. 

“I know you’re the mayor’s daughter but you wish everyday that you weren’t. You hate the expectation that you have to follow in his footsteps, but you do so anyway because you love your parents. I know you have a love for the ocean and seafood. You’re more relaxed at your grandmother’s because she accepts you for who you truly are. And you don’t want to admit what happened last night meant something because that would mean having to accept that you actually have feelings for me and you can’t just isolate yourself anymore. Am I close?”

Moana stared at him, tears filling her eyes. She hadn’t told him any of that, but in the last two days, he had figured it all out on his own. 

“Maui...”

“So what is it that you want me to do now? Do you want me to fuck off and never mention it again? Because you know as well as I do that it’ll only hurt us both.” He let out a deep breath. “Moana, I really like you. I don’t know why, but I do. Last night wasn’t an accident. I acted on impulse, not pity or expectation. When I kissed you, it wasn’t for the shot to get you into bed. It was because I would hate myself for letting that chance slip away.”

Moana took a step closer to him, her eyes never leaving his. His words made her think about what she truly wanted. She reached up to run her fingers down his cheek, causing him to bend down slightly so that his face was just barely above hers. 

She stared into his eyes, looking for any sign of deception but there was none. Before she knew it, her lips were crashing into his. 

Maui’s arm instinctively wrapped around her small waist, making sure she wouldn’t go anywhere this time. His free hand tangled in her curly brown hair. 

He pulled away slightly as she took a step towards her bed, pulling him with her. 

“Moana,” he said quietly, stopping right at the edge of the bed. “I’m not here for that. I want you to know that. This isn’t a sex thing for me.”

Moana brought his hand up to her lips. “Then will you just lay down with me?”

Maui slowly sat on the bed, watching as Moana laid down. “I just want to be clear about this. The only clothing that is coming off is our shoes.”

Moana couldn’t help but giggle. “Shut up.” She said pulling him down so that she could rest her head on his large chest. “Thank you for saving me earlier.”

Maui chuckled. “You could’ve handled yourself. I just didn’t want you to have to deal with them alone.”

“Did you ever plan to make me one of your hookups?”

The question caught Maui off-guard. He should’ve seen it coming, though. He could only imagine what Tamatoa said to her. “In the beginning. I saw you as a challenge. My plan was to help you out at the dinner last night and then make a move.” He saw the look on Moana’s face. “That kiss wasn’t me trying to get you into bed. We’ve already gone over this, Curly. When we snuck out, that was when I changed my mind. I saw a different side of you. A side that I wanted to get to know. The kiss last night was an instinctive move. I didn’t think, I just did it. If I just wanted you as a hookup, do you think we’d be in this position right now?” He pressed his index finger against her lips. “Don’t answer that.”

Moana responded by moving closer to Maui, nuzzling slightly into the crook of his neck. She closed her eyes, letting her exhaustion from the day take over. 

Maui tucked a bit of her hair behind her ear, smiling down at her. “Sweet dreams, Moana. I’ll be here when you wake up.” He whispered.


	4. Chapter 4

After a short nap, Moana woke up to Maui watching a football game on her television. She stared at him for a moment, thinking back to the events that took place earlier. 

The way he was so easily able to snap Tamatoa’s wrist should’ve scared her. If she was being honest with herself, it did. She barely knew Maui, but here he was, breaking wrists because of her, hanging out alone in her bedroom, being an unlikely friend to her. There had to be a reason his aggression spiked so badly. What was it with Tamatoa that got under Maui’s skin? It couldn’t have just been him harassing her. There had to be more to the story. 

Maui must’ve felt her eyes on him because he slowly turned around, immediately making eye contact. “Morning, Curly.”

Moana pulled her hair into a bun before walking over to him. “Maui, I think we should talk.”

His eyebrow raised. “Well, that’s not a good sign.”

“I just...” She let out a sigh, “I think we should take a step back. This entire thing moved really fast. I mean, one second, you were pissed at me for having to tutor you, then you’re breaking wrists because of me, and...”

Maui just nodded slowly. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.” He leaned back to grab one of his textbooks. The last thing he was going to do was make her think that he was upset. “Government should be next. I have a test tomorrow.”

Moana let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Maui.” She said softly before opening up the textbook and going over the test material with him. Things seemed to be back to normal. Well, as normal as they could be. 

—

The next morning, Moana expected more commotion. Obviously word traveled fast around such a small school, but not one person was talking about Tamatoa.

She made her way to her locker, jumping slightly when she heard a voice behind her. 

“So how is tutoring the Hulk?” Te Fiti said with a giggle. 

Moana turned around, a smile on her face. “Well, hello to you too. It’s fine. He’s catching on pretty quickly, so I don’t think it’ll be too much longer.”

“That’s a shame. I would’ve paid good money to see Maui try to make a move on you. You’d probably be the only girl who’s ever rejected him.”

Moana laughed off her friend’s comment. “Yeah, probably.”

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Tamatoa walk past them through the hallway. Her stomach started to knot. 

“Oh yeah, did you hear about Tom? He got really hurt at practice yesterday. Won’t be playing for the rest of the season.”

So that’s why there wasn’t any gossip. No witnesses meant that any story could be told and believed. Moana was thankful that she wouldn’t have to endure questions about that incident. 

During her free period, Moana met up with Maui before his test to go over a few things. Just as Moana was pulling out the study guide, Maui blurted out, “So what do we do now? I covered with the whole issue with Tom, but what about everything else?”

“That depends.” She said, placing the study guide on the table. “I can still tutor you until you’re out of the red with your grades. After that, we could go back to whatever we were before this or we can be friends.”

“Friends...” He said, thinking about it for a moment. “I think I like that.”

Moana nodded once. “Then it’s settled. Now let’s make sure you pass this Government test.”

Maui had never been friends with a girl. It didn’t make too much sense to him before this. But he figured he’d rather have Moana in his life as a friend than not at all. 

— 

The following week went by with too much gossip for Moana’s liking. She and Maui had nearly been inseparable, easily falling into friendship. To Moana’s surprise, even Te Fiti liked having Maui around. He even got her a date with one of the linemen on the football team. 

But of course, rumors started swirling. Some said Maui and Moana were secretly dating, some said they were just sleeping together, some even said that they were long-lost siblings. Moana easily ignored them, though, and continued with her day, as usual. 

Over the course of four months, the two became close friends. She never missed one of Maui’s games and he was always her go-to date for her father’s events. Maui’s grades started to improve, and even his fighting seemed to stop. 

One day, Moana was sitting at the lunch table with Maui, flipping through her Economics textbook, when she suddenly looked up at him. “Why haven’t I ever been to your house or met your parents?”

Moana immediately regretted her question when she noticed Maui’s change in expression and his muscles tense. 

“I’m just curious. You’ve been to mine and Te Fiti’s so often in the last couple of months, you know my parents pretty well. Honestly, I’m surprised my dad likes you as much as he does. My mom said something about you reminding him of himself. You’re kind of the son he never had.”

Maui rubbed the back of his neck, “It’s kind of a long story.”

Moana looked at the watch on her wrist. “Well, school is out, and neither of us has plans.”

“Why does it matter?” He snapped. 

There was that fear again. The fear that she felt when she heard the snap of Tamatoa’s wrist at the hands of Maui. Only this time, Maui noticed. 

“I’m sorry. It’s just a sore subject.” He ran his fingers through his hair before standing up. “Come on. I’ll explain on the way.”

—

Maui drove them down an unfamiliar street. Moana couldn’t help but notice the difference between this neighborhood and her own. The houses were older with bars on the windows, short chain-linked fences around front yards. 

“My parents...they didn’t want me.” He finally said. “When I was a year old, my dad threw me into a pool, knowing I had no chance of surviving. My grandfather just happened to come by, unannounced, that day and saw it happen. He jumped in and pulled me off the pool floor. My dad was in prison for a while, after that, and my mom dipped and got remarried. Haven’t heard from either in a few years.”

Moana remembered Maui mentioning his grandfather’s funeral in the past. She placed her hand on his arm. “You don’t have to-“

“No, I want to. You were curious, rightfully so, and you’re the only person I really trust to tell everything to.”

She just nodded, keeping her eyes on him as he drove. 

“I’ve lived with my grandparents ever since. My grandfather passed about a year ago, so it’s just me and Gram.”

When they pulled up to Maui’s house, Moana opened the door and stepped out. The house in front of her was small, but stood out amongst the other houses around it. There were flowers growing around the entryway, a lemon tree creating shade over the front door. 

Maui walked around the car to stand next to Moana. “It not a lot, but it’s home.”

Moana looked up at him with a smile. “I like it. I really do.”

He cocked his head to the side, gesturing towards the house. “Come on. I want you to meet someone.”

As soon as they entered the house, the smell of banana bread filled the air. 

“Sharky, is that you?”

Moana raised an eyebrow, holding back a giggle. 

Maui playfully glared at her before walking into the kitchen. “Yeah, Gram. It’s me. I brought someone over to try your famous banana bread.” He said pulling Moana along with him. 

Leinani smiled, immediately wrapping her arms around Moana. “Oh my goodness! I never thought you’d ever bring home a girl!”

His eyes widened, his head shaking quickly. “No, no. She’s just a friend. This is Moana. You know, the one whose house I’ve been hanging out at after school.”

The old woman smirked, looking at her grandson. “Whatever you say.” She looked back at Moana, placing her hands on her cheeks. “You look so much like my best friend from childhood. Tala, I believe.”

In that moment, Moana realized why Maui’s grandmother reminded her so much of her own. “Tala Waialiki? She would’ve had a different last name when she was a child, but that’s my grandma.”

“Yes! Oh, how is my dear friend?”

“She’s great, actually. Just lives down by the beach. Maybe I could pick you up, one day, and we’ll drive down to spend the day with her. I’m sure she’d love to see you.”

Leinani’s eyes brightened. “That would be wonderful.” She looked back at her grandson. “Have as much as you want. I made two loaves. I’ll be out back in the garden.” She said before slipping out of the kitchen, through the back door. 

Maui walked over to the counter and cut a few slices off for the two of them. “Well, that went better than I expected.”

Moana raised an eyebrow, breaking off a piece of one of the slices and popping it into her mouth. “You didn’t think your grandmother would like me? Why wouldn’t she? I’m a delight.”

Maui let out a laugh, shaking his head. “You’ve been influenced by me too much already.” He took a bite of his own slice and leaned back against the counter. “You really don’t care about what I told you? Where I live? Any of it?”

“Maui, what happened to you is messed up. More messed up than I ever thought was possible, but it’s your life. It’s not your fault that happened to you, and look where it took you. You were raised by an incredible grandmother, and assuming that your grandmother wouldn’t spend most of her life with a jerk, I’m sure your grandfather was amazing, as well, especially after jumping in after you. As for where you live, why would it matter? I hate the house I live in, you know that. I’d be happy with a little shack on the beach. This house is exactly what I’d expect a grandmother to have. Gardens, fruit on the trees, family photos lining the walls...”

Maui pulled her in for a hug. “Thanks, Moana.” He whispered. “But if you tell anyone about this, I’ll tell everyone about your teddy bear.”

“Don’t you dare mention Snugglemuffins.” She said, pulling back to glare at him. 

Maui laughed, letting her go so that he could finish off his slice of banana bread. 

“Now that we’re in the space to ask unanswered questions, I have another.”

“Really, Curly? You’re going to take advantage of me showing you where I live and telling you my biggest secret, and ask another question?” He asked with a chuckle. 

“This one is a little less...personal, I guess.” She took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. Why was she so nervous? This was Maui she was talking to. He knew most of her secrets and she hoped she knew most of his. 

“What happened between you and Tamatoa?”


	5. Chapter 5

*Maui’s POV*

“What happened between you and Tamatoa?”

Why did she have to ask that question? Couldn’t she have asked do see my grandfather’s gravesite? That would’ve been an easier answer to give. 

“A lot.” I reply simply. 

“No, no, no. That’s not how this is gonna work, Maui. Tell me the full truth.”

I knew she wouldn’t let me get away with that, but I could hope, right? What would she say after I told her? Would she think differently of me? Would she still talk to me? 

As much as I hate to admit it, I love spending time with Moana. I never thought I could enjoy another person’s company the way I do with her. She’s funny and smart and adventurous and stubborn as hell. Dammit. I might as well come out and say it. I’m in love with her. I’d never admit it to anyone but Te Fiti, and that’s only because she already guessed it. But I would never tell Moana. I’m not going to risk having her hate me or see me any differently. I won’t lose her. 

Before I get too lost in my thoughts, I should probably reply. She’s standing there, giving me that look that I hate. The look that makes me spill my guts every time. 

“Fine.” I sigh, pulling one of the chairs away from the dining room table and sitting down. “Tom and I go pretty far back. He’s the only other person who knows about my parents because our parents were best friends. We’ve known each other for what feels like a few hundred years. Think about the type of people my parents are and the type of friends they’d have. Now think about the kid those friends would have. A total asshole, right? Well, that’s Tom. He made my life a living hell when we were kids. Always stealing my stuff, even if he didn’t really want it. If it had any monetary value or meant a lot to me, he took it. Even took my grandfather’s fishhook necklace.” 

I push out a chair for Moana to sit down with me. It was going to be a long story. 

“When we were about fourteen, I had had enough. I threw a punch. That fight was so bad, I almost got expelled from the district. The cops said that, if I had put a little more pressure behind swinging him by the arm, it could’ve come straight off. Not sure if they were just trying to scare me or not, but either way, it’s a good thing Tom only walked away with a cracked rib and a dislocated shoulder. From then on, we were forced to be on a team together to ‘build a strong bond’.” I roll my eyes at the way the superintendent had phrased it so many years ago. “I hate that it kind of worked. In football, one of my main jobs on the field is to protect Tamatoa. We had to trust each other. We became friends. He taught me how to go through girls without any messy breakups, I helped him get a little stronger. Then this stubborn little junior came into my life, insisting on tutoring me.” I wink at Moana, causing an eye roll from her. I’m glad she’s in good spirits. She’s going to need to be for this. 

“He immediately started talking about you in...less than appropriate ways. He bet me that I couldn’t get you into bed within 24 hours. That’s why I insisted on going to your dad’s dinner with you.” I see her eyes widen. “But everything that night had nothing to do with that bet. Please trust me on that. Then when he found out that I didn’t go through with the bet, he said he would ‘show me how it’s done’. And that’s when everything in the parking lot happened. In that short time, he knew that you meant something to me, and he tried to take you, just like he did with everything else. I snapped and you know the rest.”

I can feel Moana staring at me, so when I look up, I’m surprised to see that it isn’t anger in her eyes. Soon, I feel her arms wrap around my neck and her chin on my shoulder. 

“I’m so sorry, Maui.” She whispers. 

I gently unclasp her arms from around me, a small smile on my face. “Don’t be. Not your fault. Just the way the Gods laid out my life for me.”

I turn around when I hear Gram start to make her way in. The last thing I need for her to start gossiping about my non-existent relationship with Moana. I know I’ll hear enough during dinner. 

“I’m gonna take Moana home, Gram. Won’t be gone long.” I say, standing up and grabbing Moana’s hand as I pull her out the front door. Less time she’s in the house, the less of a chance Gram has of embarrassing me further. 

—

*Moana’s POV*

I can’t believe what Maui had just told me. He was barely eighteen but had lived a life that some fifty-year-olds hadn’t. Everything is starting to make sense now. Every quirk about him has been explained. His anger issues, his double life, his protectiveness... But if everything is finally out in the open, why am I still uneasy about having asked him? 

Because now you have no reason to hold back your feelings, the voice inside my head whispers. Damn that little voice. No one asked you. 

It’s right, though. The last few months, it was easy for me to keep Maui at an arm’s length because of his reputation and his issues, but now I know the reasons behind them and I know that he is nothing more than a gentle giant with me. There’s nothing standing in the way, except for my own mind and the possibility of him seeing me as just a friend. Oh Gods, what would I do then? For now, I’ll ignore it. Give it time. If something happens before he graduates in three months, great. If not, then it’s not meant to be. 

I look over to him in the driver’s seat, his eyes on the road, but I somehow know that he’s paying attention to me. I need to do something for him. Something big. Something...I got it. How did I not immediately think of it? 

—

It’s finally time to put my plan in motion. Maui’s at football practice, so that means I’ve got about an hour to get this done. 

I walk down the large entryway hallway of the school, towards the study hall room. When I walk in, I see Tom finishing up some of his homework. 

“Hey...” I start. Why didn’t I plan what to say beforehand?

Tom looks up from his book, an eyebrow raised. “What do you want?”

“Listen, Tom, I think we got off on the wrong foot. I’m sorry that Maui overreacted a few months ago. I just figured I’d apologize.”

Tom isn’t convinced, I can tell. I have to lay this on thick. Come on, Moana. You can do this. 

I lean down, my lips inches from his ear. “Can we talk somewhere a little more...private?”

I see the gears turning in his head before a smile appears on his lips. “Come on. My car is out back.” 

As we walk to Tom’s car, my stomach is in knots. What if this doesn’t go as planned? What if this goes horribly wrong?

“Aren’t you worried your boyfriend will see us?”

Thankfully, this topic was the only think I practiced in my head before this. 

“Maui isn’t my boyfriend. Just a friend. He and Te Fiti are hooking up. I was pretty shocked, at first, but I guess you could say he stole her heart from the beginning.”

Without another word, Tom unlocks his car and I jump in. Immediately, I see it dangling from the rear view mirror. Maui’s grandfather’s necklace. Bingo. 

“So...I think we both know why you wanted to speak privately.” Tom says with a wicked grin. He leans over to grab my waist, pulling me onto his lap. As much as I hate the position I’m in, it’s perfect to pull this off. 

I really wish there was another way to do this, but this is for Maui. I just have to remind myself that, over and over again. 

I swallow hard before leaning in to press my lips against Tom’s. He tastes like Cheetos and his kiss is rougher than Maui’s. Everything about this seems wrong. I pull away slightly, moving to tie my hair back. 

“Sorry,” I say, “The last thing you need is for my hair to be everywhere in your car.”

“Good thinking, darlin’.” He says, looking down at his phone. 

As I pull my hair back into a ponytail, I unloop the necklace from the mirror, wrapping it around my hair tie. 

Just as I’m about to come up with some lame excuse to leave, a few of the football players start to walk towards their cars. 

“Oh, shoot! Practice is over. It’s probably safer for us both, if Maui doesn’t see us. Maybe another time.” I quickly slip out of the car and make my way to the other side of the parking lot, towards my own. Soon, Maui gets into the passenger side. 

“Maui, I-“

“What the hell was that, Moana?” 

My breath stops for a moment, unsure of what to say. 

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that shit that I just saw! You and Tom? What the fuck is that?”

“Maui, it’s not what you think.”

“Not what I think? I saw you straddling him in his car! I tell you everything about my past with him and then you go and hook up with him the next day? What game are you playing?”

Oh my god. He saw everything. Breathe, Moana.

“I’m not playing a game! I did it for you!” 

Maui lets out one of those sarcastic laughs that he knows I hate. “For me? How the hell was it for me?”

Now I’m getting pissed. He’s barely letting me talk. If he only knew I was just trying to help him. 

I unravel the necklace from around my ponytail and drop it in his lap. I see the realization in his eyes. 

“Moana, I’m so-“

I just shake my head. “Get out, Maui.”

He knows better than to continue the argument. He slowly steps out of the car. The second the door closes, I speed away, not wanting to think about the events that occurred in the last hour.


End file.
